I'd seriously wait for 6 months to a year (if possible) before buying a new PC (desktop or laptop) - for a couple of reasons.
Windows 8 is set for release in Oct. I've played a bit with the Release Preview version, and it is significantly more responsive than Windows 7.
The whole issue of tablet / netbook / laptop / airbook / etc. is in the early stages of getting worked out. I'm betting that some form of touch-screen tablet with a wireless keyboard is going to win out. If you are not one to upgrade your system at least every 4 years, you are probably better off getting an early model of the future direction rather than getting the last model of the old stuff.
With a 2 GHz processor, you should be able to milk a bit more life out of your existing laptop. I'd recommend a minimum of 4G (8G would be better, but your laptop may be limited to 4G). I'd also suggest a 128G SSD (solid state drive) - about $110 for your main drive / operating system (spend the $80 or so for Windows 8 when it comes out - it is cheaper than Windows 7, but I would strongly suggest upgrading to at least Windows 7 from Vista).
Combine the SSD with a USB 1T or 2T external drive for picture / document storage, and you should have a very fast, capable machine.
4G memory is around $60, the SSD about $110, the 1T external about $100, Windows 8 about $80, so for a total of $350 you could extend the life of your pc significantly.
Or, you could buy a very nice new laptop (Windows 8, 8G memory, 500G hard drive) for under $800 - maybe under $600.
Just be aware that either route gets you an obsolete pc, and it may be easier to let go of the $350 upgraded one, vs. a year-old $600 one. ;-p
If you keep your existing laptop and it is limited to 4G memory, I would avoid the 64 bit Windows (7 or 8) operating system. If it can be expanded to 8G, I would strongly recommend the 64-bit Windows. I may be wrong, but I think PS is happiest when it can get lots of memory, and the 64-bit op sys would take more overhead on a 4G machine than the 32-bit op sys - even tho you can only use about 3.3G of the 4G.
Were I you, I would grab the entire Adobe product line on the student price if I could. Premiere is great for movie editing. Dreamweaver is great for web development. Adobe has a lot of great products. Just not cheap.
Message edited by author 2012-10-01 11:17:15. |
